Darkest Just Before the Dawn
by Captain Maximum Storm
Summary: John Blake had to rejoin the force because he was asked to take a former criminal under his wing. But Francine Vittorio is nothing like what he expects. John/OC, slight fusion with His Dark Materials because of daemons.
1. Prologue

Darkest Just Before the Dawn

Prologue

It was nearly midnight.

John had stayed up to finish some paperwork. Balancing "Batman" life and "Detective" life was hard. Some nights, like tonight, when the sky opened up and thunder cackled into the darkness, not even the most foolish of criminals would dare to leave their hiding places.

Josie was half asleep in his lap. The Cardigan Welsh Corgi daemon had spent the day chasing bad guys, and was exhausted.

"Daddy?"

John looked up. A five year-old girl stood half asleep in the doorway of his office. Her daemon shifted from small form to small form.

Josie leaped down from his lap and John stood up. He walked over to his little girl and knelt down.

"What are you doing up, little birdie? It's past your bedtime."

Raven looked at him with scared green eyes. "I'm scared." She said.

John smiled a bit, and scooped her up into his arms. "We'll soon fix that." He said. He walked down the hallway to her room. Lightning crashed and thunder growled outside her window. Raven hid her face into his shirt. John settled Raven down onto her bed and tucked her in. He then sat down next to her.

"You know Raven; I was scared of thunder when I was your age. But your grandma Sally told me once that you have to stand up to your fears, or else they'll never go away."

The little girl nodded slowly. She then asked "When's mommy gonna be home?"

John sighed and ruffled her black hair. Josie jumped up onto the bed and laid on his lap. "I don't know little birdie. Maybe she's chasing down bad guys."

Raven pouted a bit. He lifted her chin "Hey, maybe I can tell you a story before Mommy gets home."

Her eyes lit up. John smiled and started, "Now this is a story of adventure, excitement and a bit of romance. This is the story on how me and Mommy met."

Raven snuggled down deep into the sheets, making herself comfortable before he continued.

"It was a long time ago, when I was a young cop and she was new to the force…"


	2. Chapter 1

Darkest Just Before the Dawn

Chapter 1

_7 years previous_

"I'm looking for a Detective John Blake. You wouldn't happen to know where his is, would you?"

John looked up from the morning paper. A young woman, about mid-twenties, stood in front of his desk. Her black hair was cut short and was kinda poofy, but she looked to be in a rush. She once had a very pretty face, he could tell, but over one eye was a medical eye patch and she had a scab on her cheek. The uncovered eye was a piercing dark, stormy green, like the color of thrashing sea waves.

The overall look was a bit intimidating, but the scary part was her daemon.

He was a big, gray dog. He was a few inches shy of 3 feet at the shoulder and he kept his head level with his back. He too had green eyes, but his were of a predator. John was no expert, but he knew a gray wolf when he saw one.

"That would be me, Miss…?"

"Vittorio. Francine Vittorio, but please, call me Flight. I'm supposed to be your new partner."

Oh. Gordon had mentioned a new partner earlier, now that he thought about it. Josie rose from the position at his feet and touched noses with the wolf out of politeness. "I'm Josephine, but I go by Josie. You?"

The wolf cocked his head, but smiled. "Vespen, but I also go by Vesp."

* * *

"So that's how you met Mommy?" Raven sat up. Delvin shifted into a wolf pup and snuggled a little closer to her. John smiled.

"Yeah. Wanna hear about our first big mission?"

Raven nodded her head vigorously.

"Well, it started on a night much like this one…"

* * *

The rain came down in torrents, and once more John was reminded how he sometimes hated the weather. Josie wasn't exactly thrilled about getting drenched, but it could've been much worse. Vesp looked absolutely miserable and Flight rushed to get out of the worst of it.

By the time the duo had gotten to the crime scene, Flight was lashing out at everyone but John. He didn't like the rain, but he didn't make a big deal out of it. Mind you, it was the middle of January, and officer uniforms weren't well known for being very warm in the first place.

Three gang members, all shot dead, were quickly shuffled into a corner's van to protect the bodies from the worst of the storm. After a review of the crime scene, a couple of pictures and about an hour on foot, John noticed that Flight was shivering. Being the gentleman he was, John shed his coat and slipped it over her shoulders. She murmured a quick "Thanks" before interviewing another witness. It was another hour before John noticed that Flight was starting to cough.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked. Flight looked up at him with a blood shot eye. Vespen whined and bowed his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little cough, that's all." Flight said wearily.

John would've said something else, but they were heading back to headquarters anyway, so why bother?

But back at headquarters, she started to look pale and sluggish. Vesp was in front of a portable heater, and even Brivana couldn't move him. Eventually, Flight started coughing again, but this time in fits.

John knew a cold when he saw one. Living in an orphanage, you learn the signs fast. Pale skin, sluggish movements, runny or stuffed nose, coughing, and over course a fever. Flight most defiantly had a cold. He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled slightly. "C'mon, Flight, let's get you home."

"But-" She started to protest, but John quickly cut her off.

"No buts. Can't have one of Gotham's finest run herself to the ground, now can we?"

Vespen's ears drooped and Flight looked away. "No" She murmured.

* * *

"Mommy got sick?" Raven cocked her head to the side and blinked several times.

"Yes. Which is why you don't go around in the rain without a coat. Now, back to the story…"

* * *

Over the last 5 months, John has figured out a lot of things about Flight. That she once was the eldest of five, and came from a filthy rich family. That her mother died when she was little, and that she resented her father. That she was one of Bane's favorite assassins, a one-eyed mercenary called by many names, but manly "The Wolf".

Flight lost an eye protecting her sister, Penny. Bane took them in, and Flight worked in return. She had always favored working hard than sitting on her butt all day. She wasn't scared to get her hands dirty, to stain them crimson with the blood of the innocent.

But then Penny was shot. Then suddenly she became a feral animal, obeying no one.

John has seen Flight for who she was, and still couldn't think of anyone he'd rather have as a partner. She worked hard, was honest and respectful.

"You know John, I always found it crazy, but every time I have Chinese, I feel much better." Flight said through a mouthful of orange chicken. John, upon seeing the apartment in which she was staying in, had practically forced her to move in with him. He had a spare bedroom anyway, why not use it?

"That's not crazy, that's you actually having a meal. Not the scraps you usually have."

Flight smacked his shoulder, but laughed anyway. She was already looking much better, and he supposed that the food and warmth were working. No real medicine was needed for a cold in his opinion. Just food and warmth.

The mood around the room was a happy one. Shame that it wouldn't be like that for long.

**A/N-Hi guys! Missed me? Well, I hope you like this so far (I know I do!) and I hope to update at least once a week,if not everyday.**

**Read and works for you. Also, in case you're wondering, in this Universe John is forced back and Gordon stays in the police force.**


	3. Chapter 2

Darkest Just Before the Dawn

Chapter 2

The phone rang from the table. John reached for it only to have Flight snatch it from his grip. "Vittorio."

Her face went pale. "What? No-no that can't be."

Then her eye went dark and Vespen growled from under the table. "Fine. Tell him that he better be ready, cause he's in for a shocker when he sees what I've become." Flight threw him his phone and slipped into his jacket. "C'mon John. We've got scum to interrogate."

Flight and Vespen walked quickly and angrily, and one could almost see the storm clouds trailing behind her.

Gordon and Brivana were waiting for them. "Said he wanted to talk to me?" Flight snapped. Gordon visibly flinched and handed her a file. Vesp nodded briskly and trailed behind Flight as a growling mass of death.

A man had his feet on the table, python daemon having her head perched on the toe of his leather shoes. The python's head rose at the sound of the door slamming.

"What the hell do you want, you slimly dirt bag?" The file was slapped down onto the metal table.

The man's steely eyes bore into her green eye and his smile was much alike to a vulture's.

"To see you, of course. Tell me, how's life been? Miss me?"

"Life's been crappy, not like you'd know. Penny died, Kayla died, Amber moved to Seattle, Nico's in California getting a degree, and I'm missing an eye. And, no, I don't miss you. In fact, I have half a mind to sick Vespen on you, but that'd be murder."

Alastair Vittorio sat up and looked at the growling wolf. "So he's settled. Tell me, do you really belong here. Working for cops when you could-"He was stopped in mid sentence by Flight slamming her fist into the metal.

"You know Dad, good people don't have rules. Today is **not **a good day to find out why I have so many."

When she walked away, John could almost see her eye glowing with rage. He didn't ask, just wrapped her in a bear hug before she killed someone. Gordon could handle the rest anyway.

**A/N-Sorry for lack of update guys. Life drama. That and I'm also drifting towards Justice League Unlimited (_Again. I was randomly obsessed with it for about a month during the 's still a good TV show, though._)**

**I'm not sure if you could tell, but I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. I'm going to need you guys' help. Leave a review, please? Oh, and as of this chapter I'm not doing the forth wall thing (flash foward, as my teacher would call it.).It's too dang hard.**


	4. Chapter 3

Darkest Just Before the Dawn

Chapter 3

John had the good sense to drag her home after that. He also had the good sense to take her gun before she shot someone. Flight shuffled cards all the way back, slumped in the seat with an annoyed look in her eye. They got home pretty quick.

They played cards for a bit. Society Craps, she called it. "It's more fun with four, but we'll make do with two." The game was simple enough. Take out the jokers, kings, aces and sevens from the deck. Then hand out the cards. Each card gets put out, and cards with the same number get stacked together. Then take two die and have everyone at the table roll. Whoever had the highest roll went first. If they roll, for example, a 3, then they get rid of all their 3s. But if they roll a seven, then they have to deposit a token (Flight said she used to use dimes when she played with her friends. But today they used the buttons from her brother's collection) in the 'pot'. Whoever runs out first wins.

Eventually, he had to ask. "Why did you ask Gordon to take you off the case?"

Vespen huffed and Flight sighed. "Because if I stayed in there any longer, I'd end up killing him."

"Why do you want to kill him?" Ok, that was a stupid question, but it needed to be asked. Flight's eye narrowed and the clatter of dice on the hardwood table could be heard. She flipped over two jacks and put them in the dump stack.

"For starters, he broke several of my ribs not long after mom went up north. Then when his new wife has kids, what does he do? He leaves me, Penny, and Nico to fend for ourselves in an almost empty house. Thank god for the housekeepers and butlers that took care of us, or else I don't think we'd make it very far. Remember the Harvey Dent act? He fled to Italy the moment his power was threatened. His new wife, Carley, took Amber and Nico with her to Seattle. Would've taken me and Penny, but I had said no. I still talk to her, though Dad doesn't. And now he's trying to convert me to the dark side, to abandon the job that I love. It's bad enough he's done it to Amber. And Nico filed a restraining order against him."

"Your brother's a smart kid. How old is he again?"

"17, graduated high school early, working on a degree in Engineering, Nico's got it all."

Uncomfortable silence engulfed the apartment. John got up for his chair. Josie followed at his heels. They ended up into his bedroom. He walked in and grabbed an old worn down copy of Flight's favorite book. He couldn't get it in time for Christmas, and her birthday was tomorrow, so why not? Besides, if anyone needs a bit of stability right now, it's Flight.

John crept slowly out of the room. Flight had moved to the couch and was now watching some comedy show (its World's Dumbest). She let out a quiet snort at something one of the celebrities said, Vesp sprawled across the rest of the seats. "Hey."

Flight gave him an annoyed look. "What?" She asked in a bored drawl.

"Well, Merry Late Christmas and Happy Early Birthday." John held the book in front of her eyes. The White Cover Copy of Good Omens was snatched straight of his hands and suddently he was engulfed in a bear hug.

"Thanks." She may have been all she said, but he knew that it was all that was needed.


End file.
